World Cup 2018: the bids come in

World Cup 2018: the bids come in

14 May 2010: Countries bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups today submitted their detailed proposals to Fifa at a ceremony in Zurich. David Beckham did the honours for England, while other countries had their own methods of presenting themselves to the world

Friday 14 May 2010 06.11 EDT
First published on Friday 14 May 2010 06.11 EDT

David Beckham hands England's tome to the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, who grits his teeth in grim determination to hold onto the thing while the photos are takenPhotograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

England may need to up their act, though, to get one over on the Holland/Belgium bid. Not only do they have Ruud Gullit looking like he's just won first prize in a school science contest, and the scruffy, sartorially uncoordinated Johan Cruyff, but they've also got an official handbag. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

The rest of the Dutch/Belgian bid-team trail in behind Gullit, including the legendary Holland captain and manager, Cruyff (second right), who struggles manfully to balance his handbag on his handlebarsPhotograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters